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Students Try New Voting Machines with Homecoming Ballot

Ideastream Public Media | By Karen Kasler

Published September 19, 2019 at 11:00 PM EDT

students voting at machines — Students at Westland High School cast ballots for the school's homecoming court on new Express Vote machines.

This is the time of year when students choose their school’s homecoming courts. And kids in one Franklin County high school are voting in a very official way.

In the gym of Westland High School, real voting machines are programmed with the names of homecoming candidates. Kids make their choices, print out the paper ballots and then take them to another machine that will tally them before Friday night’s football game.

“This is a chance to go through the process, to cast a ballot for homecoming king or queen, but also to learn about the voting process so that next year, they can vote in the real election.”

Secretary of State Frank LaRose said these ExpressVote machines are being demonstrated at events throughout the state, since they were bought by 39 counties after $114.5 million in state funding came through last year. He said students also can register to vote and sign up to be poll workers.